FAIRFIELD, IOWA - Optimistic retailers, brand owners and P-O-P producers like to think the sky's the limit when it comes to sales. Yet the Sky Factory says the sky is just the beginning. The
company, which made its GtobalShop premiere, produces photographic illusions of tile sky that fit into standard ceiling grid systems. SkyCeilings act as virtual skylights for enclosed spaces
with little or no access to natural light or views of nature.

The company also produces a wall-mounted product called Luminous Virtual Windows offering views of photographic representations of landscapes. The virtual window trims include several species of solid wood or brushed aluminum. CEO Bill Witherspoon says feedback from retail clients has been positive." They believe SkyCeilings have seemed to attract customers by word of mouth," he says. "Further, there is
anecdotal evidence that customers linger longer in retail environments with SkyCeilings versus retail environments without. them. We expect this observation will be quantified by research in he next year."
SkyCeilings use full-spectrum 6500 Kelvin light, which approximates daylight. Patent-pending aluminum extrusions resemble the framing used to support. real skylights.

SkyCeilings can be installed in drop ceilings as well as hard ceilings that have sufficient space to allow for the lighting installation. "The installation process is simple and does not require Sky Factory personnel," Witherspoon
says, adding that any qualified contractor or electrician can handle the job. Because SkyCeilings are modular, they can be designed to fit virtually any size or shape, though rectilinear configurations are the most popular. Optional dimming systems include manual, remote or programmable switching.= SkyCeilings and Luminous Virtual Windows stal't with high-resolution, large-format film negatives or positives. The Sky Factory website contains hundreds of images, and the in-house library contains thousands. "'We can produce custom images and have done so on several occasions, and we11 happily use clients' in13ge5 ir the files are of sufficient quality to produce the desired result," Witherspoon says.